4 Philippine artist-run spaces profiled – Asia Art Archive

CONTEMPORARY ART PHILIPPINES GALLERIES ART SPACES

Asia Art Archive recently introduced four new artist-run spaces that opened in late 2010 and 2011 in Manila. Art Radar takes a look at these ventures that stand in contrast to the”commercial galleries and flailing government institutions” that pervade the local art scene.

Opening night of "Misprint Messiahs" by Carlo Ricafort and Louie Cordero, Department of Avant-Garde Cliches, Makati City, June 2011. Image courtesy Asia Art Archive.

Click here to read the full article on the Asia Art Archive website.

Below are some excerpts from the original article, which was written by Ringo Bunoan, Asia Art Archive’s Researcher for the Philippines.

• Lost Projects: The space hosts “exhibitions and residencies by artists and curators from Manila and Australia, facilitating links between the two countries, which have been in place since the early 90s through the Artists’ Regional Exchange and other subsequent programs organised by Asialink.”

• Light & Space Contemporary: “The newly constructed compound [in the suburb of Fairview, Quezon City] has three main galleries and several artists’ studios and is owned by the family of two young artists – brothers Jason and Joseph Tecson, who together with Pow [Martinez] and Sam [Kiyoumarsi] have quickly established Light & Space Contemporary as the cradle of a new generation of artists.”

• Krem Contemporary: “Located in a more accessible part of Quezon City, [the space] is literally a one-man show by poet and artist Marc Gaba, who organises all aspects of the gallery cafe from curating the exhibitions to serving the coffee.”

• Department of Avant-Garde Cliches:  ”Critiquing and at the same time appropriating their commercial strategies, DAGC specialises in contemporary prints and limited-edition books by local and foreign artists.”

Another space that opened in 2011 and is not mentioned in Bunoan’s listing is Kanto Artist-Run Space. It was founded by visual artist Mideo Cruz and his partner and performance artist Racquel de Loyola. The space is situated at the Collective in Makati, home to a quirky array of restaurants, stores and other establishments. Kanto received media coverage as the site of a November exhibition by photographer Jes Aznar marking the second anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre, where 58 journalists were killed or went missing.

Have we overlooked any other new spaces in this vibrant and ever-changing art scene, especially outside of Metro Manila? If so, please leave us a comment below.

RA/KN/HH

Related Topics: art in the Philippines, artist-run spaces, Filipino artists

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